Don’t know which health degree is right for you? Read this.

Like so many, Emily Gregg wasn't entirely sure of what she wanted to do when she graduated from high school. She knew she wanted to study something in health, but when it came to researching possible courses, tossing up between specialisations and trying to organise her preferences, deciding on a single career path seemed daunting.

Before she committed to a lifelong career, Emily wanted to develop her understanding of the healthcare system and get a feel for what it would be like to work in both a clinical and non-clinical setting. She said she chose the Bachelor of Science (Health) at the University of Sydney because of the variety of choice it offered as well as the many career pathways it opened up for her.

Now working as a Management Trainee at Northern Sydney Local Health District, we caught up with Emily to find out about what she liked most about her degree, what she's been up to since graduating, and where she hopes to land in the future.

What did you like most about your degree?

From an academic perspective, I loved the broad range of subjects and variety of majors offered in the degree. I was able to learn so much about healthcare both in Australia and overseas, and I liked being able to choose my second major in an area of health that interested me. I chose industrial relations and human resource management, which is how I realised that I enjoyed the non-clinical side to healthcare.

There are so many options in the degree that will equip you to join the workforce or go on to do further study. For me, another valuable opportunity was being mentored in the leadership mentoring program. The program pairs you with a leader in health, which is fantastic if you are trying to decide what to do once you graduate.

What have you been up to since graduating?

I am eight months into my role at Northern Sydney Local Health District and I am loving it. I have been given the opportunity to work in operational placements in hospital management, and by the end of this year, I will have spent time in the district finance and workforce departments. These are areas which cover the entire local health district and have provided me with a great practical understanding, which will help me throughout my career.  

What advice would you give someone considering your degree?

If you are interested in working in healthcare (whether it's in a clinical or non-clinical setting), give the degree a go! There's a fantastic team of academics who will help you get what you want out of the program. Also, the degree has a great mentoring program, which will help you find your feet at uni.

What are your career goals?

I'm aiming to be the general manager of a hospital some day.

The perfect time to be starting out in health

Health is one of Australia's fastest growing employment sectors. As a result, we have reimagined our Bachelor of Health Sciences and renamed it to the Bachelor of Science (Health), to provide a thorough grounding in health and health systems at the local, national and global level, and to give students the flexibility to tailor the program to their interests.